Electric water-heater.



W. F. CUTLER.

ELECTRIC WATER HEATER. 7 APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, 1909.

Patented June 21, 1910.

WITNESSES INVENTORI 7 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. CUTLER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO CUTLERNATIONAL ELECTRIC HEATER COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A

CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC WATER-HEATER.

liquors, or for similar uses, which will be ofgreat efficiency inproportion-to its size, will be oleanlyand sanitary in construction, and

safe in operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of theheater on the line 11 of Fig. 1; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on theline 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is'a perspective view of one of the cups;Fig.4.

is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5is a front viewof the lower part of the heater; Fig. (3 is a section on the line (56 ofFig. 5; Fig. 7 is a detail vertical section through the top of theauxiliary supply pipe.

For convenience, the apparatus will be described in reference to its usefor heating water, but it is to be understood that the invention is byno means limited thereto.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a valve casing having a threadedortion2, adapted to be secured to a liquid supply pipe, the passage ofthe water through said casing being controlled by a faucet valve 3.

The main inflowing current of the water passes from :the valve 3 bymeans .of an elbow 4 and a vertical pipe 5 screwed through a base 7formed integral with the I valve casing, upon which base rests a disk 8of soft rubber, upon which is a; disk 9 of insulating material,preferably hard lain, upon which disk 9 is a second disk 10 of, seftrubber. Upon said upper disk 10 rests the bottom 6 ofgthc cylindricalcasing 11 ,of a heating chamber, which casing is partly secured inposition by means of the pipe 5, which pi e is not only screwed throughthe'llase piate 7', and passes through the disks 8, 9,10,. but is alsoscrewed at its upper end into said bottom 0 of the casing 11. Saidcasing is additionally secured by. the lower end of a central dischargewater Speeificatipn of Letters Patent. Application filed July 8, 1909.

Patented J iine 21, 1910.

Serial No. 506,530.

pipe 12, which is screwed into the bottom 6 of said casing, and passesthrough the disks 8, 9, 10, and also centrally into the base plate 7,the lower end of said pipe discharging into a cavity 13 in the valvecasing from which it flows ,by means of a faucet 14. Around the lowerend of said pipe 12, but

spaced from the bottom 60f the casing by a collar 15, is a disk 16 ofinsulating material, preferably hard porcelain, suitably apertured, asshown at 17 \Vithin the heater casing there are con-- tained avertical-series of inverted shallow cup-shaped insulators 19, preferablyof hard porcelain, each centrally apertured and having, around saidaperture, a depending hub 18, surrounding the central discharge pipe 12,said hub forming, with the wall 20 of the insulator, a circular grooveto receive heating coils. \Vithin each cup-shaped insulator 19. iscontained a portion of a coil 21 of high resistance wire, such as Germansilver, each insulator being formed with two cox'nparatively large holes22, these holes permitting the coil of wire 21, after extending aroundwithin the greater part of the circular groove of one insulator, to passthrough one of said holes, and then to extend 1n the opposite directionwithin the groove of the next insulator above or below. Although onlyone hole 22 is actually used with each insulator each cup is formed withtwo such holes for convenience of assembling. The hubs 18 insulate theheating coil 21 from the central water pipe 12.

Each insulator is formed with two small apertures 23 to permit the waterto freely circulate through the heater, and in addition with a thirdsmall aperture 24, all of the apertures 24 of the respective insulatorsbeing arranged in vertical alinement with eaeh other, to permit acomparatively small terminal coil 25 of high resistance wire to passupward through all of the said apertures. This latter coil may be eitherdetachably connected at its lower end to the lower end of the largercoil 21 or may be formed integral therewith, as shown in F ig: 1. Theupper ends of the small and large coils form the terminals of thecoiplete heating wire."

on the uppermost Cup-shaped insulator isilaid a thin circular disk 26,which is centrally apertured, as shown at 27, to permit the central pipe12 to pass therethrough, is

' the heater,

also tipertured, as shown at 28, to permit the water to flow freelytherethrough, and is also provided with apertures 29, to permit one ofthe two terminals of the large and small heating coils to passselectively therethrough. Upon the upper end of the pipe 12 is screwed anut 31. Into the chamber of the valve 3 is also screwed the lower end ofa narrow pipe which passes centrally upward through the discharge pipe12 and discharges through its open top, thus serving as an auxiliarysupply pipe. Upon said pipe near its upper end is secured a disk aswhich serves to retard the comniingling of the cold water passing upthrough said. pipe and the hotwater entering the top of the dischargepipe 12. The purpose of this auxiliary pipe is to increase the flow theheat furnished by the resistance coils being sufficient to heat a largervolume of water than would natu ally flow through the pipe 5. it alsoprevents the formation steam.

The two terminals of the heating coils are inserted in socket pieces 35and are secured therein by screws 36, and said pieces 35 are screwedupon bolts 3'7 which carry at their upper ends binding screws 38, andare passed, first, through sleeves 89 of fiber or other insulatingmatcriahsaid sleevcs39 being set into the head l0 of the casing of theclectric heater, which head fits within said casing with a tapering tit,so as to make a very ti ht joint therein. Said bolts are then passedthrough rubber disks all, 42, within said heater and upon the lower endsof said bolts screwed the socket pieces 35, as heretofore described.

43 indicates an outside casing, which rests upon a shoulder .44 formedupon the porcelain disk, and is therefore spaced from the heater casing,so that no electric shock could be given by contact with said outsidecasing. At the side of said casing is supported a tube 45 down whichpass wires 46, 47, leading to a switch 18, on a bracket connected to theends of said wires i6, 47, being connected to said binding screws Uponthe top of the outer casing is mounted an electric lanip fitting 49, theoles of which are connected by wires 50, witl said binding screws.

The stem of the key 51 of the switch 48 is arranged in line with that ofthe valve 3, and the latter is extended beyond the valve casing and hasformed on its end fingers 52 which engage the. key 51, so that said heyalways turns with the valve. By this arrangement it is provided. thatthe electric current cannot be turned on without at the same time alsoturn ng on the water supply, so that the device 0 snot becomeoverheated.

The mode of operation of the device will be readily understood from thefore oing description. The valve is opened an the heating chamber, su

ins?

electric current turned on siini'zlta-n'eousiyl The water in upthroiiigh the apertures in the cup-shaped insulators is thoroughlyheated. It flows to the top through the apertures in the uppermost disk,and

cominingles with the auxiliary supply passing through the pipe It thenflows down through the central pipe 12 into the cavity in the valvecasing and out through the faucet. The lamp is lighted only when thecurrent has been turned on through both heaters.

A particular advantage oi": this invention resides in the form of thecupshaped insulators, which, being inverted, prevent the collectionoi'sediment, and have formed integral therewith means for spacing theheating coils not only from the casing but also from the centraldischarge tube.

1. In an apparatus of the cha actor de scribed, the combination 01": aheating chamber, vertical. series of inverted cup-shaped insulatorstherein, coils in said insulators, electric conductors leading to saidcoils, and means for admitting liquid into and out of said heatingchamber, substantially described.

2. in an apparatus of the character described, the combination of aheating chamber, avertical series of inverte insulators therein eachinsulator being apertured to permit t. liquid to freely circulatetherethrough, COllS in said insulators, electric conductors leading tosaid coils, and means for admittins" liq into and out of said.bstantia-lly as described.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combi ation of a.heating chanuher, a vertical se its of inverted cup-shaped insulatorstherein, 'l insulators having apertures alining ve. -.celly with eachother, a vertical. coil extend'ig through apertures, coils in saidinsulators, electric conductors leading to said coils, and means foradmitting liquid into out of said heating chamber, substantially asdescribed.

4:. In an apparatus the character described, the combination of eheating chamher, a vertical. series of iverted cup-shaped insulatorstherein, each formed with a cen tral aperture and 5: depending hubaround said an "*rture, heating co ls in said insulators, electi cconductors leading to said coils, and for admitting liquid into and outof said heating chamber, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus of the character dc-,

insulators therein, each therethrough,

the liquid to freely circulate coils in said insulators, electricconductors lending to said coils, a discharge pipe for conducting theliquid from said heating enes? for admitting the liquid at chamber,means the opposite end of theheating chamber to 6. In an apparatus ofthe character described, the combination of a heating chamher, heatingcoils therein, electric conductors leading to said coils, a dischargepipe for conducting the liquid from said heating chamber, means foradmitting the liquid at the opposite end of the heating chamber to thatfrom which said discharge pipe conducts, and an auxiliary supply pipeischarging into said heating chamber at the same end as that from whichthe discharge pipe conducts, substantially. as described.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of aheating chamber, heating coils therein, a central discharge pipe,connected with said heating chamber at the top and discharging at thebottom, means for admitting liquid at the bottom of said heatingchamber, and an auxiliary supply pipe and a discharge pipe both openinginto the top of said heating chamber, substantially as described.

I 8. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of aheating chamber, heating coils therein, a central discharge pipe,connected with said heating chamber at the top and discharging at thebottom,

means for admitting liquid at the bottom of said heating chamber, anauxiliary supply pipe and a discharge pipe botlropening intothe top ofsaid heating chamber, and a spreader on the top of said auxiliary supplypipe, substantially as described.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of aheating chamber, a vertical series of inverted cup-shaped insulatorstherein, coils in said insulators, electric conductors leading to saidcoils, a central discharge pipe, means for admitting liquid to theinterior of the chamber at the same end as the discharge end ofsaid'discharge pipe, and an auxiliary supply pipe located within-thedischarge. pi e, and a mitting liquid to the other end" 0 said chamber,substantially as described.

' 10. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of aheating chamber, coils therein, electric conductors leading to said.coils, a central discharge pipe, means for admitting liquid to theinterior of the chamber at the same end as the discharge end of saiddischarge pipe, and an auxiliary supply pipe located within thedischarge pipe, and admitting liquid to the other end of said chambersubstantially as described.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of ,a'tieating cham ber, heating coils therewithin, means for admitting liquidinto and" out of said heating chamber, electric conductors connected tosaid coils, a rotary switch for controlling the current through saidconductors, said switch having a key, and a rotary valve for controllingthe passage of liquid into and out of said chamber, the axes of saidswitch and valve bein in alinement, and said valve having an aXiaextension engaging said key, whereby said valve and switch can rotateonly in unison, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM F. CUTLER.

